Anxiety and worries can lead to depression and unhappiness. Severe depression needs professional help but for minor “downs” lemon balm and borage can be especially uplifting, while St John’s wort is gaining in reputation as equivalent in effect to many orthodox drugs. These herbs can also be supportive for those undergoing professional treatment.
Old herbals often describe how even looking on cheerful plants can lift the spirits and “comfort the harte”. Perhaps it is worth remembering part of an old Persian poem:
If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft, And of thy store, three loaves alone are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed the soul. (more…)
While a certain amount of stress is essential to keep us alert and active, an excess is probably one of the most pervasive ills of the late 20th century. We live in an age in which people frequently describe themselves as “time poor, cash rich” — in other words, too busy working and earning to spend much time relaxing and enjoying life.
Taking soothing remedies is only a small part of the solution. Many of the ills caused by stress could be solved with a little relaxation — time spent on learning to relax with yoga or Tai Ch’i classes or going for unhurried rambles in the fresh air. Instead of resting on the seventh day we spend it in supermarket queues, endless home improvements or catching up with the housework. We all — even the busiest parent — need to find space for ourselves each day in order to cope and a few minutes of relaxed deep breathing or listening to a favourite piece of music will work wonders. (more…)
Using herbs such as shiitake mushrooms can help to strengthen the spirit and give a patient the will and self-determination to make the major lifestyle changes essential for long-term recovery. A few drops of rose oil in the bathwater can perform small miracles for those who believe themselves unloved or unlovable.
Herbs can also be used to strengthen the chakras - the body’s spiritual centres defined in Eastern philosophy. The familiar kitchen basil (Ocimum bosilicum – highly regarded in Ayurveda) is believed to reinforce the root, second and third chakras, while plants like lavender and elecampane are said to act on the crown chakra, which is associated with the pineal and pituitary glands. Using these types of herbs in conjunction with remedies for physical complaints can be very effective. (more…)
